Liquid mixer



April 79 19422 J. F. MALsBARY. ETAT. 2,278,723

LIQUID MIXER Filed sept. e', i959 2 sheets-sheet 1 ENTRs. Jaa F.' fun-agar BY ifi/44.7512 W77' no4.

ATTORNEYS April 7, 1942. J. F. MALSBARY `L=:r A1..

LIQUID MIXER Filed syept. 6. 1959l 2 sheets-sheet 2 vll.. llllll It IN VEN TOR5 Jaa '//usuxw Mure-K W 72u04. ymova.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 7, 1942 LIQUID MIXER .lob F. Malsbary and Walter W. Taylor, Oakland, Calif.

Application September 6, 1939, Serial No. 293,580

7 Claims.

The present invention relates to improvements in liquid mixers and its principal object is to provide means for mixing two or more liquids flowing from different sources in such a manner that the relative proportions of the liquids remain the same regardless of any increase or decrease in the total ow.

More particularly it is proposed to provide means whereby the ilow of one of the liquids controls the ow of the second liquid so that the ilovv of the second liquid increases and decreases automatically in response to corresponding changes in the flow of the iirst liquid.

Our invention is particularly intended for the mixing of soap solutions, water softening agents and other cleaning compounds with water in proper predetermined proportions for use in connection with industrial steam cleaning machines, dish-washing machines, bottle washing machines and the like.

The average operator of machines of this character usually is not an expert chemist and has but little knowledge of the exact proportions that should be used. Our machine automatically effects the right mixture in the proper proportions and makes the operation of the machine independent of expert knowledge of the operator.

In many of the machines using cleaning compounds the amount of total mixture fed through the machine varies with the particular function desired, as for instance, a fine spray may be needed for one purpose, and a heavy spray for another, and the correct proportioning ofthe cleaning compound with respect to changing feed becomes a diicult, if not impossible, task, even for an expert.

Our invention takes care of this difliculty and automatically insures the right proportions in the mixture regardless of the amount of liquid fed through the machine.

Our invention thus becomes an important factor in eiciency and economy, because in many instances too lean a mixture will not produce the desired cleaning effect, and too rich a mixture may be harmful and, at any rate, constitutes an unnecessary waste of cleaning material.

Further objects and advantages of our invention will appear as the specication proceeds, and the novel features thereof will be set forth in the claims hereto attached.

The preferred forms of our invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 shows a side yelevation vof our liquid mixer, certain portions being shown in section:

Figure 2 a detail view, in front elevation, of a control bucket used in our device;

Figure 3, a detail view, in side elevation and partly in section, of the valve-operating mechanism, including a slightly modified valve; and

Figure 4, a side elevation of a slightly modied form of our invention.

While we have shown only the preferred forms of our invention, we wish to have it understood that various changes or modifications may be made within the scope .of the claims hereto attached without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Referring to the drawings in detail, we show two tanks I and 2 mounted one above the other in spaced relationv on a suitable frame structure indicated at 3. The lower tank I is intended to contain the final mixture, and its .contents may be withdrawn through the outlet conduit 4 controlled by a valve 5, after passing through a suitable strainer Ii. The mixed liquid is indicated at 1.

The upper tank 2 is intended to hold a suitable concentrated soap or cleaning solution indicated at 8, andis provided, at the bottom, with an outlet port 9 connected to a `downwardly projecting pipe IB and covered by la suitable strainer II.

A pipe I2 connected to a suitable sour-ce of water under pressure is supported in the side wall ofthe lower tank I and is provided with a 'valve I3 subject to control by a float I4 riding on the surface of the mixed liquid in the tank I to maintain a desired level in the tank. Thus the amount of water fed through pipe I2 depends upon the amount of mixed liquid withdrawn through the outlet 4.A

The downwardly projecting dischargepipe I0 of the tank 2 is provided with a manually controlled valve l5 and terminates, between the two tanks, in a horizontal section i6 havinga downwardly presented outlet'port Il and a valve seat I8 mounted therein. l

The valve seat I8vhas a tapered bore I9 and has a reversely tapered valve 2i! mounted therein with freedom of axial movement. The valve projects from a widened base 2i having a nat upper face adapted to bear, through a washer 22, on the flat underiace of the valve seat for completely closing the latter when the valve is in its uppermost position.

The valve is pivotally supported, by a pin 23, in an intermediate portion of a lever 24, .one end of which is fulcrumed, as at 25, in .a bracket 26 depending from the horizontal pipe section I6.

A spring 2'! fastened at one end to an intermediate portion of the lever, as at 28, and secured at its opposite end to a bracket 29 rising from the pipe section IE, urges the lever 24 into valve-closing position. The tension of the spring may be adjusted by a wing nut 3B. Any other suitable means may be substituted for the spring for urging the` valve into closed position. A stop 3l limits the downward movement of the lever.

The lever 24 is made in the form of a trough having a closed end 32 at the rear, near the fulcrum 25, and terminating, at its front end, in a downwardly extending spout 33. The trough is also formed, at its front end, with a forwardly projecting yoke 34 which pivotally supports, on pins 35, a bucket 36 facing the spout 33. The bucket is provided, opposite the spout, with a vertical slot 31 extending from the bottom of the vessel upward and the slot may be graduated as shown in Figure 2.

The pipe I2, connected to the main supply of water, extends upwardly from the valve I3 and turns on a U-turn to terminate over the bucket 3G, a suitable retarding means, such as a strainer 3l', being provided at the end to reduce the force with which water emanating from the pipe strikes the bucket.

rIhe water dropping into the bucket from pipe I2 forms a liquid body Within the bucket and discharges from there through the slot 31. The amount of discharge depends upon the slot area actually used by the water which again depends upon the height of the liquid in the bucket. The

higher the liquid level the more water will discharge through the slot and the lower the liquid level the less water will discharge through the slot.

A steady stream of water passing into the bucket will build up a body of water of definite height determined by the length of slot neces--` sary to accommodate an amount of water equal to that fed into the bucket. Whenever the outgoing liquid balances the incoming liquid the liquid level remains constant.

When the inflow is increased, the liquid level :f

naturally rises to increase the active slot area until the outflow balances the inflow, whereupon the liquid level will again become constant. Similarly, when the inilow is decreased, the liquid level will sink until the outflow again balances the inflow. Thus the liquid level within the bucket automatically remains constant for a constant feed and automatically rises and falls in response to corresponding changes in the fiow of the water.

v Changes in the liquid level again control the lever 24 which tends to rise when the water in the bucket is reduced and tends to drop when the amount of water in the bucket is increased. Since the lever operates the valve I9, it is apparent that the valve opening increases and decreases correspondingly to increases and decreases in the amount of water discharged from the pipe I2. The valve is shown as being tapered and is shaped to make the changes in the iiow of liquid from the tank 2 substantially proportional to the corresponding changes in the flow of water from pipe I2.

The spout 33 discharges the liquid `from the lever trough into the path of the water being discharged from the slot of the bucket and the mixture drops into the tank I.

bucket may be made to correspond to `certain predetermined standards of flow, as for instance, gallons -per minute.

Figure 3 shows a portion of the lever assembly and a slightly modified valve 40 which is conicalshaped throughout its length and cooperates with a reversely tapered valve seat 4I in controlling the Valve opening.

A few further modifications are shown in the form of Figure 4. In this form the supply pipe I2 also connects, through pipe 42, with the upper tank 2 and the water may be directed into either tank through manipulation of the two valves 43 and 44.

The level of the liquid in the upper tank may be regulated by a oat 45 controlling an outlet valve 46. This facilitates the mixing of the solution in the upper tank.

Since the maximum amount of liquid the tank will take until the valve is closed by the oat is known or easily ascertained, it is only necessary to instruct the operator to ll the tank to the maximum and to add a predetermined amount of cleansing compound, which amount may, of course, be expressed in terms of commercial packages. After the tank is filled to the maximum and the proper solution has been obtained, the Valve 43 is closed so that no further water is added while the tank is emptying.

In this form we also show a constant level chamber 48 interposed between the tank 2 and the horizontal pipe section I6. This chamber receives the solution from the tank 2 through the float-controlled valve 49 and discharges into the pipe section IS. The interposition of this float chamber eliminates any irregularities in the ilow of the solution due to the changing of the liquid level in the tank 2.

The form of Figure 4 also shows weights 5| used to take the place of the spring 21 and to urge the lever toward valve-closing position.

The operation of our invention will be readily understood from the foregoing description. The final mixture of tank I remains at a constant level. As liquid is withdrawn through pipe 4, a corresponding amount of new mixture is admitted through the action of float I4. The new mixture is made up of water coming from pipe I2 and solution coming from tank 2.

The proportions of the mixture will remain the same, regardless of rate of withdrawal, because for every increase in the rate of iiow coming from pipe I2 there will be a corresponding increase in solution coming from tank 2, and vice versa, any decrease in Ilow of water from pipe I2 will be matched by a corresponding decrease in flow from the solution tank 2.

We claim:

1. In a device of the character described, a tank for holding a liquid, an outlet pipe extending downwardly therefrom and having a horizontal section, a valve in the bottom of said section, a bracket on the section, a lever pivoted in the bracket and secured to the valve, means active on the lever for urging the valve toward closed position, a bucket supported at the free end of the lever and tending to open the valve and having a Vertical slot in the side wall thereof and means for causing a second liquid to flow through the bucket and the slot whereby a body of liquid corresponding to the amount of flow of the second liquid is retained in the bucket for controlling the valve opening, the lever having a guide trough for the liquid discharged through the valve and leading toward the slot in the bucket whereby the two liquids are mixed upon discharge from the trough and the bucket.

2. In a device of the character described, a lever having a pivotal support and shaped to form a discharge trough, a bucket supported at the end of the lever and means controlled by the lever for discharging a liquid on the trough, the bucket having a slot in the sidewall to cause a second liquid passing through the bucket to build up a body of liquid therein corresponding to the amount of flow of the second liquid, whereby the ow of the first liquid on the trough is correspondingly controlled the trough having means for guiding the liquid carried thereby toward the slot for immediately mixing the two liquids issuing from the spout and the slot.

3. In a device of the character described, a lever having a pivotal support and shaped to form a trough, a bucket supported at the end of the lever and means controlled by the lever for discharging a liquid on the trough, the bucket having a slot in the sidewall to cause a second liquid passing through the bucket to build up a body of liquid therein corresponding to the amount ofi'low of the second liquid, whereby the flow of the f;

first liquid onthe trough is correspondingly controlled, the trough terminating in a, spout dis by the lever and having a discharge slot opposite the discharge spout, and means for feeding a second liquid through the bucket for discharge through the slot, the lever having means thereon coacting with the bucket in controlling the amount of liquid fed thereon in response to changes in the quantity of liquid fed into the bucket and the spout and the discharge slot being arranged suiiiciently close to cause the two liquids to mix immediately upon discharge.

5. In a device of the character described, a

source of liquid, an outlet for the same, a valve for the outlet, means urging the valve toward closing position, a lever connected to the valve and tending to open the latter, a bucket attached to the lever and also tending to open the valve, and means for directing a flow of liquid from a second sourceV through the bucket, the latter being constructed to retain a body of liquid proportional tothe amount of liquid flowing through the bucket and having a discharge opening, and the lever having a channel formed in the upper surface thereof to serve as a trough for receiving the liquid from the outlet and for discharging the same into the liquid emanating from the discharge opening.

6. In a device of the character described, a lever having a pivotal support and shaped to form a trough, means controlled by the lever for discharging a liquid on the trough, means operative on the lever for moving the same in response to changes in the rate of flow oi a second liquid and having a discharge opening for said liquid, the trough being positioned and shaped for guiding the liquid carried thereby toward the discharge opening for immediately mixing the two liquids issuing from the discharge opening and the trough.

7. Ina device of the character described, a tank for holding a liquid, an outlet pipe extending downwardly therefrom and having a horizontal section, a valve in the bottom of said section, a bracket on the section, a lever pivoted in the bracket and secured to the valve, means active on the lever for urging the valve toward closed position and means operative on the lever for moving the same for opening the valve in response to changes in the rate of flow of a second liquid and having a discharge opening for the latter, the trough being positioned and shaped for guiding the liquid carried thereby toward the discharge opening for immediately mixing the two liquids issuing from the discharge open- 

